Online Casino Disputes/Problems & How to Solve Them
From time to time, an online casino issue is bound to arise. Even so, the large majority of online casino players are fortunate enough to complete their play without encountering any problems.
If you are among the smaller number of players facing a casino dispute or problem, help is usually available. Start with the FAQs, review the relevant terms and conditions, and speak with the casino’s customer support agents.
You may also be able to use an independent third party to mediate between you and the casino. For example, if you joined an online casino recommended by GCCans, the GCCans conflict resolution team may help mediate the matter.
This guide explains the support routes available and how to use them so that an online casino conflict can be addressed as quickly and amicably as the circumstances allow.
Identifying and Understanding the Problem With Your Online Casino
Begin by defining the issue as precisely as possible. Some of the main online casino problems appear below, followed by a 4-Step process for dealing with them.
After identifying the problem, work through this process:
Step 1: Read the sections headed ‘common online casino problems’ to look for a relevant answer
Step 2: Check your online casino’s FAQ and Terms & Conditions for the applicable explanation
Step 3: Contact customer support and ask them to resolve the matter
Step 4: If the casino cannot resolve it, refer the matter to a third-party service
Ideally, your problem will be settled during one of the earlier stages. If you reach Step 4, read GCCans’s ‘Conflict Resolution with Online Casinos Guide’ for additional guidance.
What Should You Do in Case of Deposit or Withdrawal Issues?
Deposits and withdrawals are a sensible starting point because support teams arguably deal with payment-related questions more often than any other part of online casino operations.
Why Was My Withdrawal/Deposit Denied?
Check the FAQ and Terms & Conditions for details such as:
- Whether daily, weekly, and monthly withdrawal limits have been exceeded
- Whether you have supplied sufficient ID and/or proof of address
- Whether fraud has been suspected (a logon from abroad, through a VPN, or using a new computer)
- Whether any other accounts are registered at your address
- Whether your withdrawal method is current (for example, a new card or new e-wallet password)
Why Has My Deposit Not Been Updated and Financial Account Debited?
Cryptocurrency is behind one of the principal deposit issues seen in online casinos today. See our guide to cryptocurrency casinos for related information.
- For a crypto deposit problem, first confirm that the correct public key was used. If it was not, the situation may be difficult, so contact the crypto wallet provider to ask whether the funds can be recovered.
- With fiat currencies, the casino may have held the deposit for security purposes. Check your email or contact the casino promptly; it can clarify whether the problem lies with the casino or your financial facility. Unlike crypto, the money should be held somewhere and may be recoverable provided your account is legal and belongs to you.
What Are the Most Common Bonus Complaints/Issues, and Why Do They Happen?
99.9% of bonus disputes result from a misunderstanding of the bonus terms and conditions. Players who raise these complaints are often new to playing at online casinos and have not yet learned precisely how casino bonuses operate.
The Most Common Online Casino Bonus Issues
Each issue below should be addressed by a clause in the casino’s bonus terms and conditions. If one applies to you, the relevant t&c clause should usually provide the explanation. Before continuing, remember that bonus money carries a wagering requirement before it can be withdrawn as cash.
This means that your casino account will generally show two balances:
- ‘Bonus Money’ Balance
- ‘Real Money’ Balance
Higher Than Expected Wagering Requirements
Two explanations account for this most often:
- Games do not necessarily contribute 100% of each bet to the wagering requirement. Slots may count 100% when eligible, but the terms can exclude particular slots from the bonus. Many table-game bets, including blackjack and roulette, may count only 5%. The casino’s bonus terms should include a table showing each game’s contribution towards the wagering requirement.
- The terms may set a maximum portion of each bet that qualifies towards the wagering requirement. That limit could be €5, for example. If you bet €10 while the maximum is €5, only half the stake contributes to the bonus wagering requirement, or the casino may void the bet altogether. Often, the maximum permitted stake is 20% of the ‘bonus money’ balance. With €200 in bonus money, the maximum bet would be €40. Some casinos instead use a fixed maximum rather than the 20% rule, so check how your casino bonus restricts bonus-money bets.
Bonus Funds Disappear From the Player’s Account
Bonus money normally carries an expiry period from the moment it is credited. Once that period ends, the bonus money disappears, leaving the ‘real money’ balance if the wagering requirement was not completed.
Some ‘bonus money’ balances can also vanish when you fail to log on during a specified period, such as 10 days, even where the bonus itself expires after 30 days.
- The ‘bonus money’ balance has usually expired
- You failed to log on within the required period
Bonus Free Spins Winnings Not Credited to ‘Real Money’ Balance
Free spins can sound like free cash, but winnings are generally credited to the ‘bonus money’ balance and only rarely to the ‘real money’ balance. Once treated as ‘bonus money’, the winnings are subject to specified wagering requirements, which may differ from the main bonus playthrough requirement.
- Free spins winnings are added to the ‘bonus balance’
- The free-spins portion of the ‘bonus balance’ is subject to wagering requirements
Only a Partial Amount of Bonus Free Spins Winnings Credited
Almost every free spins bonus includes a ‘maximum win’ restriction. If, for example, the limit is €250 and your winnings reach €450, only €250 will be credited to your account.
- Free spins winnings generally have a maximum win limit
- Winnings above that maximum are not credited
Voided Bonuses
This outcome is uncommon, but it can occur. A frequent explanation is that more than one person at the same address took part in the same casino bonus. Other grounds may apply, including the country where you are located being ineligible for that bonus.
- Most casinos permit only one bonus per physical address
- Your country may be excluded from the bonus
Lower Than Expected Amount Credited to My Account
Bonus money and bonus free spins or credits often come with a maximum winnings limit. You might anticipate a €500 payout, yet the bonus terms and conditions may cap permitted winnings at €200.
How Do You Deal With Bonus Disputes?
Resolving a bonus dispute depends on providing precise information. Work through the earlier steps to establish exactly what has happened:
- Pinpoint the exact bonus issue
- Read the bonus terms and conditions carefully
- If the bonus t&cs do not answer the question, contact support
- Explain the precise issue to support and describe how you tried to resolve it using the steps above
Support may not be able to respond immediately in every case because calculating wagering requirement claims can take time. If the problem resulted from the bonus being voided, however, the casino will normally tell you promptly.
GCCans Casino Reviews
You can also read the GCCans casino reviews here. The reviews break down the welcome bonus terms and conditions, including:
- Wagering requirements
- Wagering contributions by game
- Bonus money expiration
- The maximum bet permitted with bonus money
My Account Was Banned Due to a Violation
In unusual cases, a casino bans a player account after detecting a breach of its terms and conditions. The casino is often correct, but an automated detection system can also make a mistake, so an apparent violation is not necessarily conclusive without clarification.
Multiple Accounts
You may join a casino for its multi-table poker option, or because a friend or family member in your household already plays there. A friend who also uses the casino might even log in through your Wi-Fi router. In either situation, the casino may ban an account under a one-account-per-IP-address policy.
How to solve this issue
The breach may be an innocent mistake. Contact the casino; it may take a charitable view if you agree to close one of the accounts. Where a friend logged in at the same time, agreeing that you now understand the casino’s dual-account policy may lead the casino to reactivate the accounts for a first-time offender, although this is not assured.
Multiple Email Addresses
Opening multiple accounts with different email addresses is not permitted. There is usually little opportunity to reverse this decision, and the associated accounts may all be banned.
How to solve this issue
If you created the extra account casually because you wanted a fresh one, the casino may allow you to retain one account where this was a first offense.
Disconnected and My Balance Not Updated
This problem can affect mobile players and is often straightforward to resolve. 99.9% of the time, the casino session times out and the casino account receives the credit. If the money is not returned in the rare remaining case, check the ‘game history’ area. The funds may be stuck, in which case support will need to release them.
Other Casino Issues
Less common problems can arise beyond those already listed. They may require escalation to a third party because an online casino is unlikely to acknowledge the following allegations without review:
- Unfair treatment
- Inconsistent gaming results
- Incorrect odds/payouts
How to Deal With Online Casino Disputes and Report Them
Whatever the issue, set emotions aside. Opening a claim with an angry message full of negative comments is unlikely to help and could even result in an account ban if the casino considers the language abusive. If you are upset, use a formal tone and give the casino a reasonable opportunity to investigate. If it does not appear to help, consider contacting the licenser or a third party for mediation.
For guidance on taking a complaint further, read GCCans’s ‘Conflict Resolution with Online Casinos Guide’.
